i'm 100% for an overhaul... HAUL every one of their illegal azzs back OVER the border!!!
Posted on 05/16/2014 10:20:24 AM PDT by kristinn
Updated 5:11 p.m. | House Republican leaders are mum on a timetable for advancing immigration overhaul legislation and have so far been noncommittal on moving on the issue before the end of the 113th Congress.
But a group of mayors and business leaders from across the political spectrum is determined to prove that momentum is growing for a rewrite of the nation’s immigration laws — even among conservatives.
The coalition, Partnership for a New American Economy, on Wednesday held the first in a series of monthly conference calls moderated by Americans for Tax Reform President Grover Norquist and featuring public figures in the conservative movement who support immigration overhaul efforts.
Norquist and his guests — Tea Party Express Co-Founder and Strategist Sal Russo, America Online Founder Steve Case and American Conservative Union Chairman Al Cardenas — strained to get the point across that the issue is not dead on Capitol Hill, and that House GOP leaders continue to plod along on a path to bring legislation to the floor.
They said that President Barack Obama’s threat to supersede Congress and use his “pen and phone” on immigration if the House doesn’t soon act is not helpful. But even unilateral action from the White House, they said, would not derail the push for action in the House, as many Republicans, including Speaker John A. Boehner, have suggested.
Norquist and the others said they are in touch with House Republicans working on a legislative strategy for immigration — piecemeal, comprehensive or otherwise. And it’s Republicans, not Democrats, who are actually working to cut a deal, according to the group.
“I don’t think Democrats are the ones that are moving,” Russo said. “I think Republicans are far more equipped to take action.”
The Wednesday conference call was also timed with two separate announcements designed to make neutralize the issue for congressional Republicans who fear they could lose re-election in November if they took a pro-immigration overhaul stance.
Earlier Wednesday morning, Russo — at the Partnership for a New American Economy’s urging — published an op-ed in Roll Call stating his support for fixing the immigration system that would provide a legal status pathway for undocumented residents of the United States.
The Partnership for a New American Economy, the Tea Party Express and Americans for Tax Reform also released the findings of a new poll Wednesday, which was commissioned jointly from the firm McLaughlin & Associates. Results show that the vast majority of 400 Republican primary voters surveyed who “identify strongly or somewhat with the Tea Party movement” support immigration overhaul efforts.
Of those polled, 76 percent said they would support a plan that fell in line with the broad standards for immigration overhaul that Boehner and other members of House GOP leadership released earlier this year.
Conservative proponents of a legislative fix to immigration laws point to the recent primary victory of two-term incumbent Rep. Renee Ellmers, R-N.C., as proof that Republicans need not fear electoral repercussions for standing in the affirmative on a controversial issue. Ellmers supports action on immigration this year and fended off a GOP opponent who opposed action on the issue.
Norquist stressed that the evolution of the GOP position on immigration over the past decade had changed dramatically already, and that it would continue to do so in the months ahead.
“The Republican electorate, and even Republican congressman, have moved rather dramatically from what looked like a ‘heck, no,’ position over to a ‘yes, but,’” he told reporters on the call Wednesday.
But in remarks Monday in San Antonio, at a luncheon sponsored by several business groups there, Boehner acknowledged that there are many in the GOP conference who remain adamantly opposed.
“There are some members of our party who just do not want to deal with this. It’s no secret,” he said. “I do believe the vast majority of our members do want to deal with this, they want to deal with it openly, honestly and fairly.”
On Wednesday evening, Jenny Beth Martin, the co-founder of another leading tea party organization, Tea Party Patriots, released her own statement “clarifying” the group’s stance.
It didn’t entirely align with Russo’s:
“Millions of people have come to America legally and invested the time and effort to become naturalized citizens in pursuit of personal freedom and their American Dream. We admire them for their courage, determination and desire, all of which reflect the founding principles of the United States.
“The position of Tea Party Patriots is clear. We must first fully secure our borders. Immigration reform cannot happen without this necessary first step.
“We support legal immigration and the rule of law, according to the Constitution. There is already a legal path to citizenship for those wishing to come to the United States. Anyone who decides to get off that path and enter the United States illegally should not be given any sort of amnesty because doing so is neither fair nor equal treatment under the law.
“We must also demand the Obama administration enforce our current immigration laws. Those who are determined to have entered the country illegally and are on-track for deportation should be deported. Those who have been convicted of crimes and are serving sentences for their crimes should remain incarcerated until their sentences have been served.
“Conservatives are watching Congress like a hawk and will do everything to make sure immigration reform is done in a manner that respects the law and those who abide by it.”
Sounds like your pal is a fraud.
http://gopthedailydose.com/2014/05/15/amnesty-pimp-rino-tea-party-leader-a-let-me-make-money-fraud/
Bovine Scatology.
Thanks for posting this kristinn. Was expecting something like this after http://www.freerepublic.com/focus.
The only reform necessary for immigration in this country IMO is to enforce the existing laws that have been left unenforced for the past thirty, or so years, and left unenforced for the purpose of creating just the crisis we have so the know better’s can resolve it to the satisfaction of those that maintain the treasure in their political troughs.
Sal Russo’s crossing over to the dark side has the potential to wipe out all of the great things TPE has done and stood for. He needs to resign, immediately, and the TPE needs to put out a (very quick) statement that Russo’s opinion (regarding Amnesty) is NOT theirs.
I’ve supported TPE...over any other national TP group. Now this.
Rand Paul on immigration:
“I do not support amnesty, I support legal immigration and recognize that the country has been enriched by those who seek the freedom to make a life for themselves. However, millions of illegal immigrants are crossing our border without our knowledge and causing a clear threat to our national security. I want to work in the Senate to secure our border immediately. In addition, I support the creation of a border fence and increased border patrol capabilities.
Immigrants should meet the current requirements, which should be enforced and updated. I realize that subsidizing something creates more of it, and do not think the taxpayer should be forced to pay for welfare, medical care and other expenses for illegal immigrants. Once the subsidies for illegal immigration are removed, the problem will likely become far less common.
I support local solutions to illegal immigration as protected by the 10th amendment. I support making English the official language of all documents and contracts.
Millions crossing our border without our knowledge constitutes a clear threat to our nation’s security. Instead of closing military bases at home and renting space in Europe, I am open to the construction of bases to protect our border.”
http://www.paul.senate.gov/?p=issue&id=12
“Moving” = caving
RAND PAUL on the Senate immigration bill 6/25/13
“I will be voting no on the Senate’s Gang of Eight immigration bill for one simple reason: because the legislation does not secure the border first.”
First, there isn’t a TEA Party, per se, just a group of like-minded people. Who leads that group?
Second, let Obama supersede Congress. All the easier to undo it later.
Oh, plus it’s Roll Call the Voice of the Democratic Party on Capital Hill. This is wedge politics and a desperate party.
i'm 100% for an overhaul... HAUL every one of their illegal azzs back OVER the border!!!
“Roll Call the Voice of the Democratic Party on Capital Hill. This is wedge politics and a desperate party.”
But they are leftists and will rinse and repeat.
I like your number 9: testing in. First i’ve heard of it. i would welcome anyone who would do military service as well.
“Why are they doing this?”
Huge, and I mean HUGE money from corporate lobbyists.
The GOP works for them now. Not the middle class.
The Partnership for a New American Economy was co-founded by everybody's favorite nanny-state former mayor, Michael Bloomberg, and is co-chaired by amnesty-pushing leftist Democrat mayors, Julián Castro (San Antonio) and Antonio Villaraigosa (Los Angeles), among others.
Seriously, Sal Russo, you should be ashamed of yourself.
OK, Jenny Beth has changed her tune from nothing to something. Glad to hear it. Tea party can’t hide from this issue.
As a conservative Christian and member of the tea party, I hate the fact that so many foolish people believe that immigration reform is a good thing, how can they be so ignorant of the evil they do? They are in step with the rinos and the communist democrat politicians and are doing the work of the devil.
Catholic Boner has to be loyal to Rome before his oath of office. And the majority of ‘protestants’ do not want to be accused of ‘racism’, because they want as many of their pews filled as they can. Then we have the ‘open borders crowd’, and the lazy gated communities who refuse to pay minimum wage to American citizens so they hire the cheap illegals to build, manicure their lawns, clean their dirty toilets and change their babies dirty diapers.
Not really puzzling if Sal Russo was a liberal mole to begin with.
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